The present invention relates to portable washstands in general, and to washstands which have an associated water supply and water collection housing in particular.
There are many circumstances where it is desirable or necessary to wash one's hands at a location which is far from running water. In the commercial world, construction sites, remote temporary facilities, farms, orchards, and agricultural facilities are all locations where the limited time of the employment or the variability of location may make permanent sanitary facilities impractical or uneconomical. In the provision of entertainment such as at sporting events, fairs, concerts, and special events, there also will be a need to provide facilities for washing hands, sometimes for many thousands of people, but only for a few days a year. In these circumstances the expense of constructing plumbed facilities is simply not justified. The solution widely adopted is the short term installation of portable toilets and washstands. These devices have fresh water and waste receptacles which are enclosed within the unit and do not connect to any outside water supply or sewerage system.
In order to produce a facility which is lightweight and durable, portable washstands have been fabricated of molded plastic. The plastic washstand can be molded in any desired shape, and hence can--with a few parts--provide multiple functions. Moreover, the plastic washstand is not susceptible to rust, requires no painting, and is waterproof. However, in order to extend the period of functionality of a stand-alone washstand it is necessary to provide significant volume for storage of fresh and waste water. Yet the manufacture of large plastic parts can be expensive, both in the design and manufacture of the molds, and in the actual fabrication of the finished parts. Some portable washstands have reduced the total volume required by combining in a single vessel freshwater and wastewater separated by a flexible membrane. Although this design approach is acceptable, it would be desirable to separate freshwater and wastewater as much as possible.
Moreover, different applications may require different washstand features. An industrial application may need to be rugged, but may not require ornamentation; a entertainment application may need to resist vandalism, yet have an attractive appearance. Maintaining a variety of different washstands in inventory can add to a distributor's costs.
What is needed is an economical portable washstand which limits the need to manufacture large specialized molded plastic parts, which is durable, and which is configurable to different needs.